Any ideas on how to stop a rather large 18 week old GSD from jumping up at us? We've tried turning our backs on him, and ignoring him but he just carries on. Not easy for the kids (3 & 4) to do though, as he would just knock them over. Even if he's left for a period (ignoring basically) he does it as soon as he's let back in, or out as the case may be. It can carry on for a while until he gets some kind of attention, I have the scratch marks on my arms to prove it!
Help!

If he knows sit, get him to do so. This has worked wonders with our 16 week old GSD. He now only gets to say hello if he is sitting and being good, as soon as he goes to jump I just say "uh oh" and tell him to sit again. Now when you come in he comes running up and sits right in front of you, waiting to say hello. Quite cute really :)

don't have much knowledge of GSDs, my pup's a cavalier so v different kettle of fish, but a trick that someone off here taught me is that if you growl at the pup as a warning, like its mum would have done, its definitely a way of making her think twice about what she's doing.

our ruby is oblivious in general to 'human' warnings and the growling thing has worked wonders trying to warn her about chewing furniture/wires she knows she's not supposed to.

just a thought - if you try it in conjunction with what khanu suggested maybe that will help?

Jools

I found that if I held my hand down to my akita she wouldn't jump but would lick/nibble my hand instead - couldn't get the sit routine to work

We have the same prob with our GSD she is nearly 6 months old and now only does it to 2 people, i stand behind her sying no, get down then i tell the people who come in to tell her to sit and soon as she does praise her gentley, but with children i normally give her one of her chewy shoes and then that takes her mind off of the visitor then when she has finished it she is calm.
Good luck

I used to have this problem with my GSD and having young children myself, i worried about it being a problem. I did manage to fix it by having NO eye contact with her. If you look away and back off the dog will stop looking for dominence.

Hope this helps

Shaznay

I have a 6 month English Pointer. We struggle with this jumping thing too. One thing that has helped to reduce the problem is I will gently move her front paws off of me to the ground. And without giving up physical contact and continue to pet her while she is on the floor. I stop if she raise up again. I am trying to send the message that I will pet and love her when she is just standing. I also try to give her attention while she is already down before she feels the need to jump. I am no expert. But, it seems to me that often people will just scold the dog and walk away. And if the dog is raising up, it is because it wants attention.

That's good advice, Darling. If people can remember to give their dog attention while it is being good, then it won't feel the need to be so "in-your-face". A pre-emptive stroke can work wonders!
:)

Thanks to everyone for your helpful tips and hints....we will give them all a try! And all we have to stop him doing now, is eating the cat! Well not really eating, but putting the cats head in his mouth. The poor cat always seems to be washing dog saliva off his fur! Any help with that one would be good too.
Thanks again everyone.

sorry but i have to laugh at the cat bit :-D no tips for that one we don't have a cat, but i do feel sorry for the poor thing :-)

I once had a Boston Terrier and a cat. The cat's neck was always yellow from the dog's saliva! They would chase each other around like mad - it was play for them. When the cat got tired of it all he would just jump onto the kitchen counter and end the game.

Stacey

I must admit, I do find it all funny too! They do seem to have fun most of the time, the cat often wrestling the dog to the floor by his neck and chewing on an ear, or an eyelid! Or the cat having a bit of a height advantage on one of the kitchen chairs, almost boxing with the dogs head, often jabbing him in the eye! But the dog is relentless and whatever happens he just keeps going back! When the cat does get fed up though he will go up on to the work tops and just meows down at the dog (teasing him, I'm sure). Most times I can't do anything about it for laughing. Its the size difference which makes it all the funnier most of the time, the dog being a large 18 week old GSD and the cat being rather a small 18 month old tabby. The cat also seems to take pleasure in drinking from the dogs water bowl, even though he has one of his own (I think he's trying to assert some authority!)

My 6 month old retriever things she is either a frog or a springer. She doesn't really jump up on us though, only other people. The trouble is that she won't sit when she is excited so it is really proving difficult. I darent let her off lead because she will leap all over people that we meet and people don't seem to appreciate it somehow!